SAN JOSE – Will Smith scored a go-ahead aim with 4:21 left within the third interval to elevate the San Jose Sharks to a formidable 2-1 win over Connor Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg on Friday at SAP Middle.
With the sport tied, Philipp Kurashev managed the puck behind the Jets’ internet earlier than he put a cross out to Smith, who slid the puck over to Macklin Celebrini. After a second, with the puck resting behind Hellebuyck and simply in entrance of the aim line, Smith poked it throughout for his sixth aim of the season.
Celebrini additionally scored a blinding first-period aim and now has sole possession of the NHL’s scoring lead with 23 factors because the Sharks received for the sixth time in 9 video games and now have a .500 factors proportion with a 6-6-3 report.
Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic completed with 31 saves, outdueling Hellebuyck, who had 25.
Nedeljkovic made 4 saves within the ultimate 35 seconds to protect the win for San Jose, which hosts the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Saturday.
The Jets took a one-goal lead on the 12:34 mark of the primary interval as a shot from contained in the blue line by defenseman Josh Morrissey discovered its well beyond a screened Nedeljkovic.
However Celebrini answered proper again. Simply 1:12 later, he took an extended cross from Tyler Toffoli, went in alone on Connor Hellebuyck, and beat the reigning Vezina and Hart Trophy winner with a forehand to backhand transfer for his team-leading ninth aim of the season.
Celebrini entered Friday in a three-way tie for the lead in NHL scoring, as he, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, and Vegas Golden Knights middle Jack Eichel all had 21 factors. Celebrini was coming off a three-point recreation on Wednesday when the Sharks romped previous the Seattle Kraken 6-1 for his or her fifth victory in eight video games.
Celebrini is amongst many gamers his age who grew up admiring Jonathan Toews, who signed a one-year take care of his hometown Jets in July. Toews, a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks who was named one of many NHL’s high 100 gamers of all time in 2017, had missed the previous two seasons for well being causes associated to Power Inflammatory Response Syndrome and lengthy COVID-19.
Celebrini stated the primary hockey jersey he owned was a Blackhawks jersey with Toews’ title and quantity.
“It’s tough to emulate a player like that, he’s just so unique,” Celebrini stated. “Talk about one of the best defensive forwards, his ability to win face-offs, and just how he tied that (Blackhawks) team together. Obviously, he was the captain, but he just did all things exceptionally well.”
Friday’s recreation represented an opportunity for the Sharks to get to a .500 factors proportion. The final time the Sharks owned such a mark was March 30, 2022, after they had been 29-29-8. During the last three years, the Sharks had gotten off to such poor begins that they by no means gave themselves an opportunity to succeed in a .500 factors proportion.
